Only 39 foeticide cases registered in UP in 9 yrs

Lucknow: Accepting the failure of initiatives taken to check female foeticide in Uttar Pradesh, the state government on Wednesday said that in past nine years only 39 cases were registered under the PNDT Act.

"In the state only 39 cases were registered under the PNDT Act. The sex-ratio here is 908 as compared to 898 in 2001. The sex-ratio in the 0-6 years group is 899 as compared to 914 in 2001", state Health Minister Ahmad Hasan said in a reply during question hour in the Assembly here.

He said that it was unfortunate that people of well-to-do families were determining the sex of the foetus and "killing" the girl child.

"Unfortunately, the BSP government was not serious on this front and only a single meeting that too at the Principal Secretary level was held in this connection in the past five years. The SP government is serious and has issued a number of directives to check female foeticide", he said.
The question was raised by Congress member Mukesh Srivastava. BJP member Radhamohan Das Agarwal suggested that the government start automatic tracking of ultrasound machines to ensure that no ultrasound clinics can run without radiologists.